Calendar & Terms
the academic year 2024/2025
38 lessons – 3 Terms

It is the student’s responsibility to ensure Fermata School of Music Lucan has the correct contact details; the student/parent should communicate any changes to Fermata School of Lucan at the earliest possible time. We cannot take responsibility for MISSED COMMUNICATION,  late/missed payment, exam entries that will occur due to incorrect contact details provided.

Fermata School of Music Lucan uses an advanced school management system, My Music Staff, for its daily operations. Most of the communication will be triggered using this system and send over as a bulk message. Occasional errors can occur when bulk sending the message or when the lesson reminder is issued. If you discover any inconsistencies, please let us know as soon as possible by reaching our office’s email: info@fermatamusicschool.ie.

Scheduling music lessons is the core aspect of a successful music school. Our scheduling policy is based on a term-by-term basis. After completing your ASSESSMENT CLASS, we will discuss how to fully embed you as a Fermata Student. You can book your time slot for the term or full academic year. Minimum booking: 1 Term (12-13 Weeks)

We will inform the student of the lesson day, time and the date of their first lesson.

Fermata School of Music Lucan will aim to confirm all the lesson details by email but does not guarantee that this will be the case if it deems sufficient confirmation has been provided by other means.

If the agreed lesson times or days need to be changed, the pupil will be contacted as soon as possible. We will make alternative arrangements to continue the lessons at times and on days that suit the pupil and Fermata School of Music.

Every student who attempts the RIAM/ABRSM examination above GRADE THREE should have at least one 45-minute private class every week. The school recommends two 30-minute classes every week to maintain appropriate learning progression.

Students taking the BOARD EXAM are required to attend weekly Music Theory lessons. Lessons are provided weekly via Zoom, and the fee is €5/class, charged monthly.

Enrolment for individual or group classes can be done by completing the website enrolment form (https://www.fermatamusicschool.ie) or by contacting the Fermata School of Music office directly (Phone: 01 621 8673). To have a guaranteed place in the oncoming Term, ask for a security deposit along with the application. The current security deposit is €75 per family.

To have a guaranteed place in the oncoming term, we advise you to pay a security deposit with the course application.

We will credit the deposit when issuing an invoice for the Term of lessons the deposit refers to.

The lesson agreement between Fermata School of Music and the pupil is a rolling agreement that continues into each new term and new year, without the additional notice required. That process operated in good faith, and in case of discontinuance, we would ask for two weeks’ notice, so we opportunity to fill your place with a student from the waiting list.

The families are emailed their invoices towards the end of each term regarding the following term’s lessons until two weeks’ cancellation notice is received.

Fermata School of Music politely suggests enrolling as soon as possible as the number of candidates might be larger than the slots available at each instrumental course. Specific teachers might be only available on selected days of the week – please check carefully without a manager.

We are a small, family-operated school, thus our capacity is limited, and we will accommodate all applicants on a first-come-first-served basis, with priority given to all customers that decide to pay a security deposit. 

We are a small, family-operated school. Thus, the design of the Fermata School of Music billing system is to provide optimized cash flow to finance our school. Timely payments are critical for our business. We believe in our staff and aim to deliver the highest standard of music lessons.

All the automated invoices with pay by debit/credit card option will be issued on the 1st of each month. Bank transfers must hit the school account no later than 1 week after starting the batch of lessons. the appropriate amount to a bank account. New term invoices are given one 1-2 weeks before the start of each Term.

All invoices must be cleared before 1st class commences unless the MONTHLY PAYMENT plan is agreed upon and set up. For all students starting mid-term, billing until the end of the Term applies similarly.

We base our billing policy on the assumption that each student will continue education into the next term. That means we will invoice each student for each future term of lessons in the week preceding the commencement of the new term of classes.

We will set up each student/parent with access to the Fermata Student/Parents portal, where all records of payments and invoices are stored. You can also use this portal to set up an automated or partial payment of your invoice.

New students joining our school will receive an invoice upon completing the registration process and before the first regular class of the term commences.

OUR DISCOUNTS POLICY

SOLO & PARTNER lessons – family discounts are applicable for 3rd attendees registered to one family. A discount of 7.5% applies when 3 courses/attendees are purchased from one family account.  FERMATA MUSIC CLUBS – €5 Student/Sibling discount for Music Clubs & Little Music Roots. Music Theory Club for students: €5/class. RIAM EXAMS: Students earn a 10% discount from accompanist hire and exam recording fees. All the exam recording fees include processing and uploading via the Fermata account. Fees do not include the examination fee (https://www.riam.ie/riam-exams/) and the cost of relevant books. WORKSHOPS & EVENTS – students receive a 20% discount for any Fermata Workshop/Event. REFER A FRIEND – Earn €25 credit with every student referred to Fermata.

Fermata School of Music recommends setting up a standing order for on-time bank transfers, cheques, or debit/credit card online payments as a payment method for your music lessons fees.

Each Debit/Credit Card processed is subject to a convenience fee of 3% on top of lesson fees. If you’re paying by the month, your convenience fee will apply when using your debit/credit card.  We encourage our customers to pay their music lesson fees via Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) to our bank account to avoid the fee. Please ensure to provide your name and invoice number in the bank transfer title to quickly identify your payment.

If you have difficulty processing payment online, you can contact one of our team members to take payment over the phone.

CHEQUE payments are accepted; you must write the cheque to FERMATA MUSIC SCHOOL

CASH payments are accepted but are discouraged due to ever-increasing banking fees and safety risks.

All LATE PAYMENTS (over 30 days old) are subject to €15 fee – all explained in Section 7

We are a small independent school, and we are 100% self-funded. On-time payments are critical to the correct functioning of our business. When you struggle with your payment, please approach our office immediately. For all family accounts with arrears lasting over 30 days, Fermata School of Music applies a late payment fee of €15.

We may hand over any accounts with arrears over 180 days for Debt Collection; however, we will make numerous attempts to recover the debt before this happens.

We will do our best to approach you and agree on a payment plan that suits all. In rare cases, the Fermata School of Music reserves the right to temporarily and entirely suspend pupils from lessons with unpaid term fees during term time. A temporary suspension means that we will keep the lesson timeslot available for the student in the hopes that you will make a payment. A full suspension implies that the school has the right to fill the pupils’ lesson time slot with another pupil from the wait list.

The notice of withdrawal applies to all classes/courses (whether 1-to-1, group lessons or seasonal camps). All cancellation requests must be in writing and addressed to the school office and required for a minimum of two weeks before the final class is due. We will not accept verbal notice from students, parents.

There are no refunds in the ‘pay by semester’ scenario after completing the third class of the semester.  We maintain a strict no-refund policy in other courses and seasonal camps.

Fermata School of Music reserves the right to terminate the contract with immediate effect due to payment arrears over 180 days, not following the Code of Behaviour or breaking Internal Regulations.

The security deposit paid to secure a place in the oncoming term is non-refundable if the student will notify the school of discontinuance less than two weeks before the 1st scheduled class.

Fermata School of Music Lucan reserves the right to remove a pupil from the student list in the case of:

• Internal Regulations or Code & Behaviour Policies breach
• Non-payment for more than three lessons,
• Frequent non-attendance, in such circumstances, we will give two weeks’ notice to the applicant or parent.

In case of a severe breach of Internal Rules or Code of Behaviour, we reserve the right to terminate the course with immediate effect.

Fermata School of Music Lucan reserves the right to dismiss any student for frequent absences, disciplinary reasons, not following our policies or code of behaviour, or overdue tuition payment. Dismissed students are not entitled to any refund of tuition fees.

Our approach to timetables and assigned teachers represents a rolling booking from Term 1 to Term 3, so we will maintain the time/teacher assigned during your first class until the end of Term 3.

As a bonus, we maintain the same time/teacher when you re-join us in next Academic year unless you request a change to your schedule (subject to €75 security deposit paid)

If students ask to change the assigned time slot during the existing term of lessons, we can facilitate that, subject to teacher availability.

We don’t recommend changing a teacher during the Term of lessons, as this can affect the development plan set up at the start of each Term by the individual teacher.

If you require to change a teacher between two terms of the lesson, a two-week notice will be required to ensure we can facilitate hand-over to another tutor (subject to availability).

At Fermata School of Music, we understand that sometimes our students may miss a class. However, please note that if a student misses a class, they are not entitled to a refund as the teacher’s time is reserved for that time slot for the entire term and teacher is present for a class. Regardless of the student’s attendance, the teacher will be present at the school during the designated class time. In some cases, we may be able to reschedule the missed lesson depending on the teacher’s availability, but this is subject to the circumstances and the amount of notice given. We apply a rule to try to facilitate up to  1 replacement per Term of lessons – subject to the teacher’s availability. Replacements cannot be transferred between Terms.

When the student cannot attend a lesson, please let Fermata School of Music know as soon as possible. The easiest method to cancel the class would be by using the Parents/Student portal, or by sending an email to our office at info@fermatamusicschool.ie .  You are welcome to approach your music teacher directly if you decide to.

Fermata Attendance Policy – a student is obliged to attend music lessons regularly. We do not schedule music lessons on Bank Holidays. We can only reschedule a class on behalf of a student if the reason for the absence falls under missed lesson policy.

When a student cannot attend an in-person class, we will happily connect with the student using online platforms (Zoom, Skype, FaceTime, WhatsApp), so the lesson is not forfeited. Please provide a minimum of 12 hours’ notice for the teacher to re-configure for online class setup for such circumstances.

Missed Lesson Policy – we will consider any scheduled lesson forfeited if a student will not attend. The exemption of this rule can only apply in specific cases, such as Certified Sick Leave, Hospitalisation, Family Bereavement, or School Exams.

For any missed lesson falling into any of the above cases, Fermata School of Music will arrange a catch-up lesson(s) at a mutually agreeable time for both the student and the teacher. We require proof to support the time of absence from the lesson/lessons. The certificate/letter must outline the duration of absence and the reasons. As a courtesy, you should send a to the school’s office to consider any credit or replacement lesson.

If a student does not attend a re-scheduled class, such a lesson will be forfeited, and we do not offer further replacement dates.

It is the manager’s discretion to apply credit for missed classes to the family account. Please note that we will not transfer credit for money, but we will instead offset it against the next term’s fees. This courtesy credit does not extend to any other family relations.

Late Lesson Policy – if a student is late for a lesson, then he /she will receive only the balance of the lesson duration. If a room schedule is running a few minutes late for unforeseen circumstances, the student will still receive the whole time of his / her lesson.

“No shows” or any absences related to family trips or holidays are treated as unattended music lesson and is forfeited without any right to receive a Make-Up Class or credit.

We go far and beyond to ensure our replacement lesson suits your busy schedules. However, if you prefer not to have the replacement class, such lessons are considered forfeited.

We encourage all students and parents to work out together with your teacher to come forward with a mutually beneficial time for a replacement lesson. We instruct our teachers to engage with you on this matter, so please let us know if this is not happening.

It is the manager’s discretion to apply credit for missed class to the family account. Please note that we will not transfer credit for money, but we will instead offset it against the next term’s fees.

If the school cannot provide a substitute teacher, then the lesson/s will either be rearranged upon the teacher’s return or credit for the next Term of lessons offered.

Fermata School of Music Lucan reserves the right to cancel any group course, summer camps and seasonal courses because of insufficient enrolment levels. In such a case, we will refund tuition fees and deposits.

Each academic year Fermata School Of Music Lucan assists several students with a chance to attempt a Royal Irish Academy of Graded Exams (RIAM), ABRSM, or Rock School of Music. In the academic year 2023/2024, we will also stand the in-person exams for the Royal Irish Academy of Music.

Fermata School of Music also sends students to various music competitions in Ireland and Europe. Each year numerous Fermata students take part in various National & International Competitions.

Each exam session or competition date is outlined in the school’s Year Calendar and cannot be changed. The Competition dates are dependent on the organizers and may involve additional charges such as transport and accommodation.

Your teacher’s decision about attempting the graded exam or competition is final and is appropriate for each student’s level of performance, knowledge, and age.

When a student is absent on the day of the exam/competition, we will treat such absence as the exam/competition is forfeited. We will not refund any associated fees.

Please note that Exams & Competitions are only part of music education at Fermata School of Music Lucan and are not mandatory during your musical journey with Fermata Team.

Fermata School of Music will aim that every student approaching the exam/competition has the knowledge and skills to achieve the highest possible marks.

However, we take no responsibility for the final marks of the exam due to 3rd party circumstances affecting participants, such as stress, and examination pressure of performing in front of the external examiner.

Neither teachers nor administrators are responsible for supervising children outside of teaching time or during the seasonal concerts, events or waiting times.

Fermata School of Music is not liable for any injures, or personal damages that occurred outside of teaching hours in the building curtailment or the area outside the building.

During wet weather/wintertime, we advise to pay special attention when moving across the interiors of Fermata School of Music. Management suggests having spear pair of shoes to use exclusively to move inside the building during such conditions.

Any student under the age of 10 will not be permitted to leave the school without a parent/guardian or informing the leading teacher or staff member.

All teachers in Fermata School of Music are highly qualified instrumental experts giving You or Your child a unique opportunity to become an independent musician.

Fermata School of Music is fully committed to safeguarding its young students’ well-being. Teachers must, at all times, show respect and understanding for the rights, safety and welfare of students and conduct themselves in a way that reflects the principles of the school.

The Child Protection Policy aims to promote best practice in protection and set out a procedural framework to ensure that all who have contact with the young students are equipped to make informed responses to specific issues and minimise the risk of protection and welfare issues.

All teachers and assisting staff in Fermata School of Music must sign the Self-Declaration Child Protection Form and are Gardai Vetted.

We will offer no compensation to individuals who appear in the photographs.

Please let us know if you do not wish your or your children photograph to appear through any mentioned media channels.
PHOTO CONSENT FORM

Reception/Office: Ph:  01 621 8673

Tomasz Mikiciuk – School’s Manager; Mob: 085 1257503

Patrycja Mikiciuk – Head of Fermata; Mob:  085 1251712

General E-Mail: info@fermatamusicschool.ie

Our office is only staffed on a limited amount of hours during the day, so any attempt to visit our school should precede with appointment booking query send to info@fermatamusicschool.ie

A copy of the most recent Terms & Condition will always be available on our website and upon request PDF copy will be e-mailed to student or parent.